androokery

9 minutes ago, jonclark said:

The Ireland issue goes back alot longer than 100 years and it is a sectarian issue that can be traced back to Henry 8th and the English Reformation some time in the 1550's. It is an issue that literally divides families and communities and is incredibly complex and ingrained. 

The "issue" is quite old - but NI formally being part of the UK is not even 100 years old, right?

I'm not British. And I feel that any step towards nationalism is basically a step towards nazism. I like the idea of the European Union. I like its stated purpose of being a project for peace. There are of course issues with the EU that I don't like. And there are members that I think should be kept outside. Or kept on a very short leash. 

The current trend towards nationalism in so many countries at the same time is very dangerous. And intensely stupid. The cost in human lives and suffering when it all goes wrong will be as devastating as it has always been with previous unnecessary wars in Europe. 

So why is the UK taking this step to break the treaty and international law? It is likely that it will have some impact on the credibility of the current administration in regards to future deals and treaties, so there is obviously a cost associated with this decision. For what exactly?

The exact nature of the law being introduced, which breaks the treaty, has been seriously under-reported in international press. It seems to have something to do with Northern Ireland and the Good Friday agreement. 

Going forward with an exit from the EU without solving the issue with Northern Ireland and its border with the EU is mindbogglingly irresponsible. When nationalists argue about the UK's right to decide its own path, they probably mean the right of the English to subjugate other countries, regions and peoples. Northern Ireland is a quite recent addition to the UK - is it even a 100 years old yet? And it seems to be a project very much akin to Tito's Yugoslavian project of moving Serbs into every part of the then Yugoslav nation. And we all know (?) how that ended. 

I shouldn't even get into the arguments of what having or not having a hard border on the Irish island would mean. But it is quite obvious that the proposed solution will lead to unrest, probably to violence, most likely to terrorist deaths. Or freedom fighter deaths - depending on your perspective.

I feel that the UK, without the English language, would by now be about as significant and relevant as Hungary on the international stage. Once part of a great empire, but now squandered by selfish nationalists and a weird separatist agenda. But they still have the language, which we all use even on this forum, regardless of our nationalities. So I guess the UK still matters. 

 

28 minutes ago, natway09 said:

What a ridiculous article.

Most foreigners have decided against International Travel for the next 18 months

That is definitely not the case.

The Foreign Office in Sweden has a ban on travel outside EU effective until Nov 15. The autumn break in Sweden usually comes at the end of October/beginning of November. I'm not surprised the numbers are low. 

On 9/3/2020 at 6:51 AM, evadgib said:

???????? and ????????????????????????????? 

Hey the Union Jack would have to be changed. 

45 minutes ago, JusticeGB said:

Uncle Tu thinks that by keeping the statistics for covid19 low Thailand will become a more attractive place for tourists to visit and in the same breath denies them the ability to come!

It’s a very interesting strategy. I heard Beijing now will allow direct flights from a few countries, among them Thailand and Sweden. Two countries that, at least on the surface, seem to have chosen very different paths through the crisis. 

9 hours ago, mike1967 said:

I'm just wondering about testing in other countries. If you need a negative test 48 hours before departing then surely this is going to be super stress time. Imagine having everything in place then you'll have to lie about needing a test or maybe you can pay for it? You'll be sat at home biting your finger nails waiting for the test result to come back. I can see people either in the airport or on the way checking their emails every 20 seconds for the results. One slight hiccup then it's all over. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

This new requirement of 48 hours is insane for a PCR test. They take 2-3 working days. Getting the result in under 48 hours is exceptionally fast. 

4 minutes ago, trucking said:

 

Which of course makes everything OK.

 

When these attacks happen the animal concerned should be put down , the owner to pay all medical expenses and compensation for time/ money lost by the victim plus a very hefty fine to be given to the victim and another to local authorities. Failure to pay earns the owner a jail term.

I agree that the animal should be put down. But I’d also like to see a higher degree of accountability for the owner. I suggest we legally view this as the owner being responsible for the dog’s actions, as if they were carried out by the owner itself. If the dog tried to kill someone, the owner gets charged with attempted murder/manslaughter etc. 

31 minutes ago, giddyup said:

Imagine if those soi dogs were pitbulls.

There are pitbull soi dogs, I’ve encountered them in Udon Thani. I chose another route. 

7 minutes ago, Kadilo said:

That’s not how I read it. 
 

The “resort” is describing the hotel complex where you have to stay inside for 2 weeks followed by another week where you can wander outside. They would have no control over anyone wandering around the beer bars etc in Udon. 
 

I hope you are right. 

The Safe and Sealed proposition, as described regarding Phuket, would allow you to spend the first 15 nights within a 1 km radius of your hotel. Locals and employees of the hotel would have to stay there too.

In addition the entire island would be sealed off.

While it would be theoretically almost possible to seal off a place like Patong beach with its three major connecting roads (no, it isn’t because you could always get in and out using the trails or trek through the jungle), I do see some problems in sealing off parts of a place like Udon Thani.

So if Udon Thani ever gets a Safe and Sealed program, the details and rules may differ from those of Phuket. 

8 hours ago, Kadilo said:

I’ve stayed in Udon Thani many times over the years and cannot think of one “resort” I would want to be couped up in for 2 weeks. In fact I’m pretty sure one doesnt even exist!

According to the concept you’ll be able to move around freely within a 1 km radius of the “resort” during the quarantine. If you booked near Central, you’d have most of downtown to roam around????

19 minutes ago, maqui said:

At Frankfurt airport, a private lab company offers Covid PCR tests with a turnaround time of 4 hours instead of days.

Test 1 week before departure. Test on the day of departure. Test upon arrival and again 1 week later. Provide all those dangerous tourists with a tracker wristband to deal with cases in which the incubation period might be longer than the week between the first test and the test upon arrival. Release people from their quarantine hotel "cells" the next morning. Fine any tourist who does not wear a mask 10,000 Baht, as in a couple of European countries, to support the learning curve - masks reduce cross-infection risks by >85%. Problem solved.

The tests, combined with masks, should reduce the risk by 99.9%. If Thai society cannot cope with a risk of 0.1%, then they should consider their traffic fatality rates (ca 10,000 p.a.), where Thailand holds one of the global top ranks without causing much concern in the population. To quote Auric Goldfinger: "Mr. Bond, drivers kill 60.000 every year." Apparently, there are risks that even Thai society accepts without breaking a sweat.

Let’s hope the cost of the PCR tests comes down since you just suggested a solution that would cost 20,000+ baht just for testing. 

1 hour ago, hotchilli said:

Another pipe-dream, most other countries are suffering more than Thailand, more are out of work or on a budget because of reduced working hours or worse redundancy, holidays are the last thing on their minds.

Thailands documentation mountain to get here for one is off putting, insurance policies that are difficult to gain if affordable by singles let alone a family. 

Quarantine for 14 days on arrival, tracking after that and possible quarantine on arrival back home.

It's one thing opening up, but expecting anyone to come is an entirely a different matter.

 

Going on holiday abroad quite consistently ranks as number two on

people’s wish list of things to do after the corona crisis. Meeting family and friends ranks as number one. 

2 hours ago, phitsanulokjohn said:

They can open it up as much as they like,but so long as restrictions exist,what tourist would want to come,with potentially many days of their vacation stuck in a hotel,plus all the paperwork required,not to mention the added expense.

Waste of time&money.

Not what I'd describe as a holiday.

A lot of people are currently working from home, with their employer’s approval. So why not work 15 days from a hotel in Bkk, one with a stable wifi? And then kickstart the actual vacation by just stepping out of your hotel? ????

5 hours ago, ravip said:

Reading through the thread, the Thai government should seek the guidance of the TVF experts for a successful opening of the country. None could beat the expertise available herein.

Even though there are no obvious emojis here, I read this as dripping with sarcasm. Hence the thanks. 

Here's a novel - and unrealistic - idea: start by admitting tourists into to the country that are less likely to be a burden to the medical facilities. The first batch of tourists to be let in could be those under 60 years old and with a Body Mass Index of less than 28. Two metrics that are quite easy to check. These people can still be carriers though, but to a much smaller extent than the ones who get really sick.  

It would of course be very unfair to body builders???? 

5 hours ago, GAZZPA said:

yes it is... 100% true. 

Weird. I’m European. I’m thinking about going. 

5 hours ago, Destiny1990 said:

Someone explain to him that nobody from Europe is even thinking about flying to Asia without a working vaccine so meanwhile the tourist industry workers better should shift back to farming rice.

 

Nobody? That’s not true. 

2 hours ago, AndrewMciver said:

 

Those who come for a long stay may well go through that process. 

 

The problem is do you trust Thai authorities to not let those in quarantine escapae into the night?

Maybe you could

pay an unemployed local to take your place in quarantine? A classic sleight-of-hand substitution trick. As long as there’s a body in the ASQ hotel room everything should be fine ????

The main issue I have with this solution is that it’s quite complicated to book the entire thing, i.e. flight, accommodation and visa. 
 

I work from home a lot now anyway, I can see myself working from a BKK hotel room for two weeks. And the cost of the ASQ hotel is just like a tourist tax on my trip. After the quarantine I can stay for another 4-6 weeks in Thailand, maybe choosing a few cheaper options along the way to compensate for the ASQ stay. Well, unless I get diagnosed with COVID-19 that is...

3 hours ago, Jackie66 said:

What is the difference between a 50k hotel and 150k hotel if you can only stay in your room? Hopefully you can at least choose different restaurant food not pad thai and fried rice every day.

The menus are set, different food every day with a number of options. If you want to order a la carte, you have to pay extra. 

2 hours ago, Flyfish said:

Price includes 3 meals a day, internet ect and in many cases Covid testing. Many are priced 50 to 70k for 14 nights......what would you expect to pay for 14 nights full board?

The packages are actually for 15 nights